Page 30 of Kneel Before Me

A moment passed in which they both watched Lilly in her crib.

Then Daphne whispered, “You loved her.”

Maximus looked suddenly at the floor. “Dearly,” he whispered back.

“And…you’re still in love with her. Even though she’s…gone.”

“Yes.”

The word was a devastating oath between them—something Maximus battled daily—a truth he could not bear to face. His father did not accept it. He barely accepted it.

“Then why seek a wife?” Daphne asked. “Why not mourn, and wait until you are ready to marry?”

To her surprise, Maximus laughed. “It’s like you said. The royals enjoy this sort of thing.”

Daphne took a small step closer. She was close enough that he caught her scent, which was clean and light, like a cool breeze. This woman couldn’t possibly understand how he felt—how painful it was to grieve the death of the mother of his child while actively seeking a new partner. But the parameters of the competition were absolute: Every prince must go through the elimination process and marry at the age of twenty. Maximus was bound to the rules the same way Daphne was. They were just two people caught in a system that did not care about their feelings.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Maximus didn’t reply. He simply stared at the floor while Daphne stared at him. Eventually, he said, “And you?”

“What about me?”

Finally, he looked at her. “Have you ever been in love?”

Something flashed in her eyes. Pain. “No,” she whispered.

Maximus didn’t react to her admission. He had a feeling if he did, she would bolt. Instead he held her gaze, wondering how it was possible that a woman this beautiful had never been in love. Surely, the village boys were falling at her feet.

Daphne straightened suddenly. “I won’t be having sex with you.”

The change in topic was so sudden Maximus almost laughed. “Is that so?”

“Yes. That’s so.”

Mild disbelief coursed through him, followed closely by amusement. “I see. And why not?”

“I don’t want to have sex again until I’m in love.”

“Again?”

“Yes, again. Were you expecting me to be a virgin?”

His eyes slid down her body—slowly—and he knew she saw him do it. “No.”

Her cheeks flushed.

“And why exactly have you made this particular choice?” he asked.

Daphne faltered. She looked suddenly hurt, and Maximus wondered if he’d caused it.

“I just…want to be in love.”

There was a pause, and Maximus let it sit. This girl was truly not what he had expected.

“If you won’t be having sex with me, then I’m afraid we are rather at odds, darling,” he said. “I’m meant to make my decision based on sex.”

“You can still do that,” Daphne said. “It just won’t be based on sex with me.”